By Chance
by EagleRay
Summary: Toph sets a plan in motion to remove one of the enemy. Set sometime during their stay in Ba Sing Se, but before Lake Laogai Katara x Ty Lee?
1. I may be Blind, but I'm not Blind

**Title:** By Chance

**Summary**: Our girl Toph decides to take matters into her own hands when she sees what's going on.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar – The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon. I don't own any rights to the characters, places, or ideas of the show.

**Warning**: **This story will probably eventually be mildly slashy **(of the girl kind). Jeez, what is my deal with writing this stuff?

Sorry everyone who's waiting for other stories. This plot bunny just bit me on the behind and it won't let go.

* * *

_Chapter 1_

Ba Sing Se.

Oh, how I loath this city.

The people are creepy, the streets are dirty, and the rules are way too confining; almost as much as they were back home.

My parents aren't here though, so I suppose this place is better than home. But not by much. And the others are pretty nice to me. It's taken a while, but I finally settled into a less egocentric state of being. It's only slightly less, but enough so that I could actually be a part of this group. Once that change for the better had happened, I found that not only could I feel when people were lying, but I could sense other things too.

This brings me to my current predicament.

I felt them come into the city a few days ago, and I had almost panicked at how close they were to our house. Did they know we were here? Were they still hunting for Aang? Well, there's a stupid question – of course they still wanted Twinkle-Toes; he's the Avatar. Why _wouldn't_ they want him dead?

It had been so hard for me to keep my cool and not lash out and attack them when I felt the vibrations of their footsteps no more than a stone's throw away from us. I'd know those feet anywhere.

There was the leader – Princess Azula. She always walked confidently, proudly. Her footsteps never paused, never hesitated. And there was a power to her strides, a self-absorbed, arrogant certainty and defiance in her stance. I guess it could be justified; I mean she is after all the daughter of the Fire Lord. I've never seen her and I've never witnessed her bending, but I've felt her lightning smash through any rock I could throw at her. It scared me a little – that she could so effortlessly defend against everything I had. It was one of the few nightmares I ever had that I would some day die at her hands.

Then there was the taller, quieter one. She seemed a little like me in some ways. She had confidence to spare, but not the arrogant kind. She was a dark, brooding sort; long, smooth strides and a calm, cold, calculating stance – almost belligerent in her bored attitude. She made it seem as though it was a chore simply to breathe the air around her. But she could certainly throw a mean set of daggers – it's just too bad I'm faster than she is.

And finally there was the third of the bunch – the odd one out. I could never really figure that one out – what was her name? Katara had called her Ty Lee, I think. She was light on her feet, she shifted her stances effortlessly, efficiently – never a single twitch wasted. Hers wasn't a cold or calculating style of fighting, but playful; it was almost as though she enjoyed everything she did, but in a child-like way. Her martial arts were incredible…the very first time I'd faced her the skill with which she'd struck had astounded me. Her voice was young, excited, joyous…she was truly happy to live; but she seemed more of a gymnast than a fighter.

I thought they were a bit of an odd group, working together the way they were. Then again, look at _us_ – the Avatar and his friends.

But anyway, that's not the point.

So, here I am slinking around the rooftops of this stupid city sometime long past dusk, hunting down one of the three women who would sooner throw something dangerous at me than talk to me. Why, you may ask?

Because I'm a masochist.

Seriously, why am I doing this?

I could say that it was all a matter of tactics. If I could completely remove one of those women from the equation, better for us, right? Well, I'm not so interested in killing – not even those three, but I thought I had a pretty reasonable chance of convincing one of them to help us a little. I might be able to get them to tell me some information at the very least. I mean, half-an-ally is better than nothing, right?

But I would be lying if I said I was really thinking impersonally, so calculatingly. Really, I was doing this for _her._

It had taken me a while to figure it out considering everything that happened whenever we all ran into each other, but I had finally worked out the whole picture. Of course, it also hadn't really helped that I couldn't see anyone's faces but still…better late than never.

Once I'd realized what was going on, I felt so ridiculous. I almost screamed it at the top of my lungs it was so obvious but I held it in. Why didn't anyone else see it? It was shrieking out to be heard in the way her heart beat just a little faster whenever she saw us. Whenever Azula would order them to attack, there would be the very slightest hitch in her breath and a twitch in her stance, a hesitation even she probably couldn't sense. It was like some part of her didn't really want to do it, like she was attacking more for the sake of duty or loyalty than out of any sense of dark morality or true willingness to do that which she was being commanded.

That was the definition of a friend to me, and it's just too bad that Azula doesn't see it. If the Fire Princess was more willing to treat her friends with the same respect they showed her, I probably wouldn't be plotting to take one away from her. I mean, if there wasn't a chance in the world that this could work, why would I waste the effort? But thanks to Azula's carelessness, thanks to her blindness, her arrogance, single-mindedness and her heartlessness, my plan's chance of success went from impossible to just improbable.

At first, this idea that popped into my head had seemed wild, insane – crazy…but it made sense after I'd thought about it a little more. If you take a girl who's doing something she doesn't particularly want to do and give her a chance to change, a chance to do something better – to do something more satisfying, what do you think will happen? All I had to do was open her eyes to the possibilities.

Oh – speak of the devil…there she is.

I feel her footsteps ahead of me suddenly, so abruptly it makes me realize I must have been far more absorbed in my thoughts than I was aware. I quickly duck down where I'm standing on the roof, feeling the vibrations of her slow, careful strides. She's deep in thought, not completely aware of her surroundings as she wanders down the deserted street.

Before I act, I take a moment to look at her as best I can. Is it really true – do you really feel about her the way it seems you do? It was one thing to suspect the attraction, but this plan of mine – despite being carefully created and meditated on – was something completely out there. This is something I can't take back, and if it blows up in my face not only will it be completely my fault, but one or more people might get hurt – very seriously most likely. If I am wrong, it could be a disaster.

Still out of sight on some random roof, I feel the way she moves; drifting from one shadow to the next. She pauses every so often for a few moments, and I use that time to carefully close the distance between us.

Soon enough, I'm on the roof of the building right behind her and I watch carefully the mental image I have of her. She's been stopped for the last half-a-minute staring up at the cloudless sky. Her stance is balanced and steady as always, but it's heavy; she has definitely got something on her mind. She breathes a quiet sigh and I finally find the unknown signal I'm looking for, the sign from the fates that I am in fact doing the right thing.

She's lonely.

Her brave, cool outer attitude is a façade, and I know deep down there's only one person close at hand – probably only one person in the whole world really – who could fill the empty void in this woman's heart.

Without moving from my perch on the roof, I reach out with my bending and open up a narrow, smooth-walled hole beneath my prey's feet, sending her plummeting straight down more than a quarter-mile to the huge underground network of caverns I'd found just a couple days before. It was my space I was lending over to one of our enemies. It was the place I'd been going to relax and meditate a little – to practice my bending too.

Hopefully, it would help these two in some way.

With barely a squeak of surprise, the woman is suddenly sliding feet-first down into what must seem like the very bowels of the Earth. I wait for a moment as the woman vanishes down the chute, her hair waving behind her as she gasps in shock.

But then I turn on my heel and start racing back the way I've come.

I have to get the last part of my plan.

* * *

She is easy enough to find, all things considered. I mean, it _is _pretty late at night and all. The only problem now is getting her sleeping body out of the house without waking anyone, especially the girl I am spiriting away.

I stand just outside Katara's room and take a deep breath.

This is it.

If I still have any doubts, this is my last chance to back down. If I want to, I could leave that other woman stuck down that hole and no one will be affected; she will eventually find her way out and she will never know that it had been my doing. I could still walk away and avoid the risk; I could still avoid the responsibility. As I stand there outside Katara's door, I find the question bashing me on the head none-too-subtly.

Am I willing to put Katara's safety at risk?

What is the worst that could happen? What is the best, and does it outweigh the possible worst-case outcome?

With a determined frown, I slide the door panel open and slip into the Waterbender's room. It is time I gave some company to the girl I'd stuck underground. Moving forward carefully, silently, I feel through the floor for the Earth and stone that lies beneath the house, willing it to grow up and slowly pierce the wooden boards on which I stand with a quiet, slow creaking sound. I move slowly – painstakingly so, hoping I can do this without getting caught and without waking the older girl.

The stone walls have risen completely through the floor all around her when I feel her heartbeat quicken and her breathing change… I can't tell if her eyes are still closed, or if she is even really waking up, but I take no chances. As soon as I feel the change come over her, I slam the time-beaten earthen walls closed like a dome over the prone form of the Water Tribe girl, blocking me from her sight as I prepare to send her down.

I give a light kick to the floor and Katara's tiny dome is sent plummeting straight down into the ground, the stone and Earth parting dutifully for her as I deepen the tunnel.

Once she is gone and I've closed up the hole behind her, I look carefully around me and listen to see if anyone has overheard my work. No one comes to investigate.

Satisfied that no one has heard, I turn around and retreat to my room. No one is stirring as I lay myself down on my mat, drifting off finally with only one thought still lingering in my mind:

_Good luck, Sugar Queen._

* * *

**A/N** : So, here's the first chapter; I hope you liked it. Anyone want to try guessing who Katara's going to meet? We'll see how it turns out…


	2. What are YOU doing here

**Title:** By Chance – What are You doing here?

**Summary**: Our girl Toph decides to take matters into her own hands when she sees what's going on.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar – The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon. I don't own any rights to the characters, places, or ideas of the show.

**Warning**: **This story will probably eventually be mildly slashy **(of the girl kind). Jeez, what is my deal with writing this stuff?

* * *

_Chapter 2_

Well, this is just great.

Looking around from the place where she'd tumbled, the girl slowly stood up and checked herself for injuries, sweeping one hand through her long, dark hair. Oh goodness, where in Ba Sing Se was she? Somewhere underground obviously.

"Alright, whose brilliant idea was this?" She brushed the dust off her clothes and looked around again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Earthbender who had done this to her. It didn't take a brilliant mind to realize what had happened.

She wasn't exactly sure what she'd been doing out so late at night – and alone? Ha, she should have known something would happen. She'd just needed some time away from the others to think she supposed. Azula was so cold sometimes it was downright depressing. Still, the Fire Princess led an exciting life; certainly more lively than life back in the fire nation. She understood why they were following the heir of the Fire Lord so dutifully. Well, that wasn't completely true – she knew exactly why _she _was here.

Azula's fiery spirit had always been so raw and untamed, ever since they were kids. The young woman sighed as she sank to her knees on the cavern ledge she'd found herself spirited away to become a prisoner; she had always wished that Azula's fire would calm. She didn't hope for it to become tame or safe, but she wanted her friend to be someone she could relate to, someone who was approachable, and not someone she had to just follow without question. But no, as they'd grown older, Azula's inner fire had only grown hotter with her ambition. She'd become more and more like her father with every passing month, and Zuko had borne the brunt of the heat. He'd suffered the most for being the "weak" child, and she'd suffered with him in silence, watching helplessly as her Princess stepped farther down the dark path that her father had led her down.

Shifting a little so she could sit more comfortably, she thought back to the first night the three of them had been back together. After seeing how dark Azula had become – how monstrous and devious her ambitions had become, they two had agreed to a silent pact. No words had been exchanged between Ty Lee and Mai; they hadn't been needed. They simply understood each other, and they both saw that Azula's Fire would consume her if it were left to smolder and feed with only her father's teachings as fuel.

The two friends had decided that it was up to them to make sure the Princess' sense of humanity survived all this. It was up to them to keep it safe until the Earth Kingdom had fallen so they could preserve the human being, the woman, the young girl that was their best friend and keep her from being consumed by that monster – the daughter of Ozai.

And now she was trapped way down here.

Just how _did_ that work anyway?

She thought back again to those very last moments before plummeting down here. She actually hadn't been thinking about Azula then; she'd been thinking about the Avatar and his friends

She had been thinking about _her_.

Well, not her so much as what she represented – how she was able to keep the four of them together with only a few words and her own heart. That was something she missed from the old days. The kind of camaraderie that existed in that group was incredible and she wished she knew its secret; she wished she could somehow get it to work between the three of them.

She wished she could have a real friend for once.

That must have been it.

It must have been the moment she'd had that very thought that her hidden captor had seen their moment to attack. That was the annoying thing about Earthbenders. She was faster than lightning and smooth as ice, but the Earthbenders had a way of throwing things in the way with a consistency that was just infuriating.

Who could it have been?

The Avatar had an Earthbender, but it seemed more likely for the blind girl to capture Azula than it did to kidnap her. Honestly, didn't it make more sense to cut off the head of the serpent rather than its tail? Azula had said something when they had first come into the city, something about secret police – the Dai Li. She wasn't sure why they would want to shuttle her down to this empty, echoing place, but they weren't here to stop her from leaving, were they?

Standing from her place on the floor, she glared mildly at the rough circle of disturbed rock on the wall. What could she do against that, she must have traveled what – half-a-mile through solid rock? There was no way was she was digging herself out that way. She'd have to find another way out – one that didn't require bending. Now here was one of those times when she didn't envy Azula her fire-bending. It was one thing for her to be stuck down her, but if she had that much power and _still_ been unable to do anything to save herself? That would have been maddening.

She looked around at the cavernous chamber. It was huge – it even had a few small buildings on the ground below her ledge. A stone-lined canal wound its way through the chamber from the wall below her to the opposite end of the chamber, passing through a barred culvert at the far end of the cavern, almost right in front of her. She couldn't see a single beam of daylight; all her vision came from the light of some strange green crystals that were pretty much everywhere. She finally saw a path that cut from her ledge down to the ground, passing right along the cavern's wall. With a frustrated sigh, she started walking down.

This was going to be so boring.

* * *

"Ow…what a strange dream."

Katara lifted her head from her pillow and swept the hair out of her eyes. That really had been a weird dream – it must have been the stewed mystery meat that Sokka had cooked for the evening meal. Yeah…monsters were one thing, but coming up out of the floor and eating her? That was just-.

She caught sight of the pitch darkness around her.

Crazy?

"No!" Without thinking, her mind still half-asleep, Katara shot to her feet and smashed her head into the ceiling. "Nn…" With a groan, she fell back down onto her bedroll, her hand pressed against the crown of her head. What was this? Some kind of trick? Standing up more carefully, Katara reached above her head with one hand to feel for the low ceiling. "This isn't very funny Toph!" She finally spoke upon making contact with the solid stone above her. The tallest she could stand was on her knees so she sat back down with an irritated huff.

After a few long, silent minutes, she realized that Toph wasn't coming to let her out. Did she even know she was trapped down here? Where was here anyway? From what she'd felt in her dream, she must be stuck deep underground or somewhere like that. She _had_ dreamt of being swallowed by a monster from underground, so she supposed that would have to have come from the real-world experience of someone kidnapping her from their home on the surface.

Cautious of anymore surprises, Katara reached out one hand and felt around in her bedroll for her flask of water. If Toph wasn't playing some evil joke on her, then there was only one other person in her mind who could have done this to her and she felt a small flash of rage fill her mind as the smug, arrogant little face floated up from her memory.

Long Feng.

Oh, why couldn't that snake just leave them alone? Wasn't it enough that he'd made their lives a living nightmare by thwarting their every attempt to speak to the Earth King?

Popping the cork from her flask, Katara drew out a thin stream of water and formed it into a long, slender dart of ice. It was time she broke out of this prison.

With an abrupt forward thrust of her hands, Katara sent her dart flying out into the darkness. Almost instantly, she heard a quiet crack of stone and a tiny, rounded hole appeared in the pitch darkness in front of her, allowing a thin beam of light to shine through. Smiling with relief, Katara drew her dart back into her stone-walled jail cell and hurled it forward again, aiming just a little to the left so she could extend the hole to one side slightly.

She was so out of here.

Five minutes later, Katara dug herself out of the rubble and rubbed the top of her head gingerly, glad for once that she had been alone. "Okay, that wasn't very clever." She made a mental note to be more careful the next time she was cutting through the walls that supported the ceiling above her. "That's the last time I make that mistake."

Brushing her unruly, sleep-tousled hair out of her eyes again, Katara looked around at her surroundings with growing amazement. "Where in the world…?"

It looked like she was in the middle of a deserted city street, but there was something just a little off about it. The Waterbender looked around more slowly and realized that it was the light; it wasn't right at all. It was supposed to be night time wasn't it? Katara cast her gaze up to make sure and gasped, her eyes widening at the sight.

Rock.

Nothing but solid rock hung above the city. There was no sky, no stars, and no moon…only a solid, uneven ceiling shrouded in shadows.

An underground city.

Katara couldn't see where the light was coming from but she realized now probably wasn't a good time to marvel at the wonders and mysteries of Ba Sing Se. She had to get back to the surface and make sure the others were still okay. Long Feng had probably done something awful to them and Katara wasn't there to stop him!

Spurred on by that thought, Katara snatched up her water skin, replaced its cork, and started jogging down the dimly-lit street, her eyes constantly searching for anything out of place.

Yet, for all her wariness, she must still have been tired from her interrupted sleep because the next thing she knew she had stepped out over nothing and fallen into a canal of clear, ice-cold water.

Shocked out of her wits, Katara broke the surface with a shrill gasp and thrashed her way to the stone wall of the canal, swimming through the deep water to grab onto a crack in the brickwork.

After a quick breath to calm herself, Katara reached out to all the water around her and used her bending to lifted herself up onto the bank of the canal. "Okay, I'm awake." She glared at the flowing canal.

"Good thing too."

Katara whipped around to face the voice and her foot slipped of the straight edge of the stone wall, causing her to start falling backwards into the canal, spinning around as her body toppled over the edge.

"Whoopsie!"

Small but strong arms grabbed onto Katara's shoulder and easily counterbalanced her fall, setting the Waterbender securely and safely back on her feet even as the body on the other end of those arms spun around her, bouncing lightly from foot to foot as her would-be rescuer danced around her with a fluid and smooth grace that could only belong to one person.

"Ty Lee," Katara's eyes widened once again at the realization. First Long Feng and now this?

A grinning, bright-eyed face slid into the Waterbender's sight only inches from her own. "That's my name!"

* * *

**A/N** : Hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Whether you liked it or not, I'd appreciate some reviews to let me know how I'm doing with this new story. Thanks for reading it, and I'll be back.


	3. Urgent

Make sure to copy and paste the petition below to make it your own story... We need this petition going around through everyone who is an active member on FF.

The administrators are, as of June 4th, going to be taking down Fics that have lemons or have extreme violence. Now I don't know about you but I think that's stupid. There are many wonderful fics that only have one or two lemons in them yet the plot itself is awesome! You can't just take down a 100,000+ word fic just because it has a lemon in a chapter that is only 1000 words long. Now I urge you all to read the petition below, sign it, and repost this to your own fics. Hopefully if we make enough noise everything will return to normal. Thank you.

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

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For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply hasn't been added.

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